Bliss
by AngeloftheMorning1978
Summary: Set after my Re-Post "Never Just a Dream" The Team is living in Japan. They find out from a new chracter how dark COBAL can be. Enter: Sybil
1. Chapter 1

Bliss

_**The team has moved to Japan after Ariadne's kidnapping and rescue. I wanted to make this chapter because I kept having the breakfast scene in my head and felt it would show how content they are. (Well, most of them.)**_

Ariadne was fortunate that the apartment Saito provided allowed a small dark room in what was once a half bath. It took only a day for a crew to transform it into a perfect dark room for her new hobby. She had fallen in love with photography since she and the Team moved to Japan almost 6 months ago. Braker (The Australian Forger) had given her a camera and she had dutifully taken pictures of unique buildings, but Japan had a beautiful mix of old and new she had never seen before. She could be walking down a modern street market, full of lights and noise, and turn a corner and be on another market that looked exactly like it had two centuries ago. She had the dark room installed because digital was to perfect. It lacked a human touch and talent. The shutter and physical feel of bringing a photo to life was a labor of love. To see the image _float_ into existence on the paper was like magic. She had spent her weekend photographing a temple that had been abandoned after the second world war. It was stunningly foreboding in the fact that it was neglected. With plants slowly reclaiming it, it almost looked evil.

Arthur was fully dressed with a cup of coffee and a new paper in hand. He looked up at the red light above Ariadne little dark room. The red light was on, which meant not to disturb her. He gave a soft knock instead.

"Yes?" came her muffled voice.

"Breakfast is ready." he called.

"Alright." She replied. The red light flicked off and she appeared.

"I finished developing the temple. It's so amazing." She said showing him the 8X10 black and white. Arthur nodded dutifully.

"Very nice." He said honestly. "I never would have thought to take pictures from this angel." He added.

"I was going to show them to my instructor later this week. I also think they can be used for our dream work." She added. Arthur nodded.

"I think Cobb will be impressed." He agreed. The pair sat down and a large dinner table.

"Thank you for cooking." she said with a laugh as she helped herself to the hot scones and fruit Arthur obviously just bought from a local store just an hour before. He gave her a rare smile.

"Your cleaning up." He said opening his paper.

"You know," Ariadne said nodding to his paper "You'll never learn Japanese if you keep reading _The_ _New York Times _every morning." Arthur sighed softly. This was an old banter between him and the rest of the Team. Ever stubborn, Arthur had difficulty assimilating to Japanese culture. It was to loud, to busy. There was to much happening around them and it was confusing. Ariadne and Eames took to Japan with ease. They absorbed all factors of the culture with fascination. Cobb seemed to take to life in Japan well, but only because he spent most of his time at work with Saito and American colleges. His children loved Japan. It was a flurry of never ending excitement for them. Like all young people, they learned to speak Japanese very quickly and often translated for there Father. Arthur desired nether the excitement or pace of such a busy people. The front door opened and Eames strolled in.

"Good morning kiddies." He sang out helping himself to a scone and a banana. "I had a lively night at the Karaoke bar when you two downers left. Met a lovely young thing. By the way Ariadne if she comes around just pretend to be my jealous wife."

"Yeah." Ariadne said, distracted by her photographs.

"Same as last time." Eames added. Arthur looked at the Forger in mild annoyance. The was a routine for the Team. Cobb took his kids to school and then the Team had a nice "Homemade" breakfast before braving the day of dream extraction. Eames looked at Arthur and frowned.

"You know Mate, you'll never learn Japanese if you keep reading the news in English." He said. Ariadne didn't look up from her photos but a wide smile speared across her face.

"I do fine Mr. Eames." Arthur stated trying to concentrate on a dull article.

"Right," Eames said rolling his eyes. He looked at Ariadne "How is your new major, Darling?"

"I haven't switched majors." The Architect said in a sing song voice. It was a statement she had made so many times lately she was well practiced at it. "It's just a hobby."

"Your taking a class at the international college and you have your own dark room." Eames stated.

"I'm not a professional student." She said defensively.

"Your not?" Arthur and Eames both said in surprise. Ariadne shot the Point Man a look as Eames chuckled.

"Morning all," Cobb said coming in and throwing his jacket over a chair. "Traffic is picking up and it looks like rain." He nodded to Arthur as he sat down and helped himself to breakfast.

"No problem." Arthur said. "I finally got the car out." The Point Man shook his head. "Nightmare of red tape."

"You know, in Japan most people take the train." Ariadne said "Its faster then fighting the traffic."

"No, its safer to drive." was the Point Man's retort. He didn't need to explain any further. Arthur had diligently worked to get a license to drive in Japan so that the Team could have there own transportation. The events from 6 months ago were still very raw. Ariadne's kidnapping and discovery of COBAL's research into extraction put them all in a state of being on constant guard. It was the reason they had all chosen to live in the same apartment building. Saito had them working exclusively for him in extraction. The businessman afforded them a comfortable life in a foreign country.

"I'm surprised your willing to drive at all." Eames said "Your not liking Japan." Eames commented.

"I like Japan." Arthur said defensively.

"You don't embrace it. You never have fun with the rest of us." Eames told him. Cobb stood up and took his cell phone out. He usually made his morning round of calls before the Team was done eating. Arthur said nothing. Ariadne looked at the Point Man.

"You don't have a T.V. In your apartment." She said softly. Arthur shook his head.  
>"I didn't watch T.V. In the States." He told her.<p>

"I'm just saying that if you watched some of the shows here, it may help you to feel more connected. When I first moved to Paris, even though I spoke the language, I still felt out of place. You have to embrace the culture in order to enjoy our life here."She said in a low voice. Eames, sensing this conversation was not for him, stood up and pretended an interest in the view out Ariadne's window.

"I enjoy our life here." Arthur said honestly. "I enjoyed going out with you to see the temples last week. I really did. This place is just... chaotic." He finished. Ariadne sighed. Arthur was born in the wrong century and Japan was years ahead of everywhere else in the world. They were not a good mix.

"I wont bring it up anymore." She promised.

"You know, you don't have to have Eames and Cobb here every morning like this." Arthur said. He had grown irritated at having the Forger so close all the time. He was much more relaxed with just the two of them and those times had become far to few.

"No, I like it." Ariadne said gathering up the scant dishes. "It's very homey. I feel like I have brothers or something." She said taking the dishes over to the small but stylish kitchen.

"Brothers?" Arthur said in annoyance but no one heard him because Cobb had finished his call.

"Saito has some news about COBAL." The Extractor told them. "It looks like there trying to rebuild there own extraction team again."

"Using that horrid new PASIV contraption we stole?" Eames asked. Cobb nodded. Arthur stood and shrugged on his coat. The Team silently and with purpose exited Ariadne's apartment and Arthur (with his own key) locked the door behind them.  
>"You know Arthur," Cobb said as they watched Ariadne and Eames head down the hall "You'll never pick up Japanese if you keep reading and American newspaper every morning." The Extractor followed the Forger and Architect and didn't see the filthy look the Point Man gave him.<p>

In the busy streets of Japan a teenage girl ran. It had already started to rain and the labyrinth of streets helped her hide. She ducked into a nearby shop to catch her breath. She had to find them. Warn them. Perhaps they could protect her. She had no idea who these people were and if they could be trusted. But anywhere was better then what her pursuers had in mind for her. She looked out the shop window and saw that it was empty except for a skinny stray cat lazily stalking his next meal. She retrieved a tattered envelope from her graffiti messenger bag. And pulled out the stolen photos. There were a candid photo of Arthur and Cobb at an airport. Another of Arthur and Ariadne getting into a cab. Yet a third and forth showed Eames and Saito. In bright red in there was stamped across each photo.

**TOP SECRET: Property of COBAL engineering. **


	2. Chapter 2

Collision

**I chose the name Sybil because I wanted to keep with the Greek theme of Ariadne and Persephone. Sybil meaning prophet.**

Saito's office building looked modern and elegant in the skyline. Arthur was used to driving there every morning. But the driving rain was making things move more slowly. Cobb sat in the passenger side and people watched as Ariadne and Eames chatted happily in back. Arthur preferred to have the Architect in the back because he could subversively glance at his rear view mirror when ever he wanted to look at her and not let her know he was looking at her. It was in doing this the light changed and before he took his eyes of Ariadne he took his foot of the brakes. A teenage girl was suddenly in front of the car and Arthur braked suddenly cursing loudly. He honked his horn at her in horrid frustration of her jaywalking. The girl, oblivious to the downpour, gazed at them for a long time before walking away in a daze.  
>"Is she alright?" Ariadne asked.<br>"Yeah, she looks okay." Arthur said still annoyed. The drive to Saito's office was much calmer.

"These were taken last night." Saito told them showing a slide show a building and people coming and going.

"How can you be sure there extractors?" Cobb asked.

"Because of the people involved. A Chemist from Brazil, an Architect from China. We have traced the purchase of the building to COBAL."

"That fancy PASIV device?" Eames asked.

"We think they have rebuilt it." Saito said

"How?" Ariadne asked. "It's very hard to get the components to build any PASIV device."

"By cannibalizing and old PASIV. Very dangerous I might add." Eames told the group. "I was in Dubai and a gentleman there had a set up very similar to Yuseff's. He utilized a re-modulated device... it did not end well for the dreamers." Ariadne nodded silently grateful to work with professionals.

"How is it coming getting a new chemist?" Arthur asked. Saito looked uncomfortable and shook his head. Yuseff had not wanted to accompany the Team to Japan. He preferred to stay in Mombasa with his den. It affected the Teams ability to delve into different levels of dreams.

In the lobby of Saito's office building the teenage girl walked in dripping wet. The security guards closely scrutinized her. It was to good to be true. To find the American Team so quickly.

"We can not allow COBAL to have this new technology." Saito said in his careful English. Cobb nodded.

"The unstable nature of the device can lose the dreamer." He said looking over the reports Saito's engineers provided on the PASIV recovered from Ariadne's kidnapping.

"I thought this thing could let the dreamer wake up without collapsing the dream." the Architect said.

"In theory." Mr. Saito said. "But by trapping the dreamer in a paradox, such as you did with the COBAL extractor, it would never allow them to escape. And the dream would continue and never time out." The Team let out a low breath.

"So with this device, if we get trapped in a paradox, we can never wake up." Arthur said sounding horrified.  
>"And if someone tried to wake us up manually..." Ariadne started to say.<p>

"Our brains will fry." Eames concluded.

The team had concluded there meeting at Saito's office and with a new respect to the sobering situation they all remained silent on the elevator ride down.  
>"Cobb," Arthur said at last. "We don't have to do this." Cobb and the others looked at the Point Man. "It's to dangerous to go into this kind of dream state."<br>"We cant let them do this to someone else." Ariadne told him defiantly. She herself had been hooked up to the new PASIV device and had trapped Jim in a paradox that lobotomized him when the Team stole the device during her rescue.

"Exactly why we don't need to go though this again." Arthur said steadily.

"Our experience with the the new PASIV makes us the most qualified to stop them." Ariadne said with her usual resistance. "They may have kidnapped others and are experimenting on them right now. Remember what happened to Fedor?" The Team didn't have to be reminded of the Russian Point Man subjected to drugs and dreams for so long he had lost his hold on what was real. It never left anyone's mind that the same could have happened to Ariadne. As the elevator door opened to reveal the lobby, the teenage girl stood and marched directly to Cobb. The security guards tried to stop her but she yelled out.

"Mr. Cobb." The Extractor turned and took a good look at the girl. The Team turned as well at his name.

"Isn't that the girl you almost hit?" Eames asked Arthur.  
>Mr. Cobb, I have information you need." The girl shouted. Cobb approached her and waved the guards away.<br>"Information about what?" He asked. The girl sighed and looked exhausted.

"Information about what COBAL plans to do with the PASIV-4." She said dully.

In a small but clean little restaurant in a busy part of the city Saito, Eames, Arthur, Ariadne, and Cobb sat with the teenage girl as she ate greedily from the plates of food.

"I like Chinese food better." She stated curtly. The Team watched her in silence. Her race was impossible to determine. Like all young people of the modern world she looked to have ancestry from all corners of the globe. Her accents was likewise difficult to ascertain.

"Why don't you start by telling us your name?" Arthur said coldly. He had doubted from the first this girls claim. But her knowledge of the new device, this PASIV-4, had convinced Cobb and Saito.

"Sybil" Said said in between bites.

"Were are you from?" Ariadne asked. Sybil shrugged.

"I'm kinda a citizen of the world." She said. Arthur huffed a laugh. Sybil fit the bill of an elusive gypsy. The mix matched clothes, streaks of blue and pink running in her dyed black hair, gaudy costume jewelry and heavy black eye liner.

"Where are your parents?" Ariadne asked.

"Gone." Sybil asked. "I make out alright on my own. I'm eighteen." She added. Ariadne and the Team looked at her doubtfully. "Alright I'm thirteen." She said guiltily.

"Why don't you tell us about COBAL?" Saito said. Annoyed this girl slighted Japanese cuisine in favor of Chinese. Sybil pulled out of her heavily marked up bag a series of envelopes.

"I knew you people would be the ones to go to with this. You broke her and that Australian Forger out." She said pointing her spoon at Ariadne. "That you would be able to stop COBAL from creating a race of mindless zombies using there new toy. They plan on using it to plant ideas of paranoia and war into world leaders. People make a lot of money during war time. Selling weapons and gaining new territory. Taking advantage of people who have lost everything. Oldest story in the book." She went back to eating. The Team pulled free tattered reports with TOP SECRET stamped boldly in red across each page.  
>"How did you get all of this?" Arthur asked finally.<p>

"Let's just say I had an 'in' with COBAL." Sybil said smugly.

"Let's **not** just say that." Arthur said harshly. "How can you expect us to believe anything you say when you cant tell us where you got the information?" The Team looked at Sybil who glared daggers at Arthur.

"Because my Dad was an extractor. He worked for COBAL." The Teenage Girl gave the Architect a hard look. "You may have known him as 'Jim'." She finished finally.


	3. Chapter 3

Suspicion and Desire

Night had broken over the city. The Team was back at Ariadne's apartment and had broken there normal ritual of a cozy dinner with Cobb and his children in light of their unexpected guest. In a small but comfortable guest room the Point Man turned over the Teenage Girl's bag onto the neatly made bed.

"What are your doing?" Sybil barked snatching her now gutted bag away from him.

"If your going to stay here, stay with us, we have to make sure your not carrying any weapons or anything that you can tattle our location to COBAL with. Cell phones and the like." Arthur said looking over the bizarre collection of lip gloss, pens, colorful foreign currency, and other teenage trappings. Her possessions were scarce and road worn. Arthur almost felt bad to think this girl had been living as she claimed on the run for three months with only these small amounts of personal effects. He spotted a worn out nail file and quickly seized it. At least his intrusion hadn't been for nothing. As he was leaving he deftly unhooked the phone from the side table and took it with him.

Out in the living room the team waited for him.  
>"We can't trust this girl." Eames said sadly. "We were the ones who turned her Dad's brains to scrambled eggs.<p>

"No cell phone on her." Arthur said putting the phone in Ariadne's dark room.

"From what she told us her Dad was less then pleasant." Ariadne said.

"From what she **tells** us." Arthur said. "She had no passport." He added. Eames chuckled.

"We **really** cant trust this girl." The Forger said.

"The information she has provided is being looked over by my engineers right now." Saito said. "So far all of it appears very valid."

"This is the oldest game in the book." Arthur said. "A Trojan Horse. Lure us in with false information. False leads that will get all of us killed. COBAL is behind this." He pointed at the closed door of the guest room. "She is working for them."

"Sybil didn't have to tell us about her Father." Ariadne said rubbing the back of her neck. "According to her, she lived with him after her mother passed and was privy to his work information."

"So what?" Arthur asked "Why track us down and betray her Dad's work? Because she didn't like him?"

"I think it's more to it then that." Cobb said. The Team looked at the Extractor. "She seems like a bright kid. Maybe she realized what COBAL was doing and took a chance to stop it."  
>"To take a leap of faith that we would help her." Saito said in a far off voice. Cobb nodded. Eames turned around in disgusted aggravation.<p>

"Goodnight Ladies." He called. "I'll be sleeping with my boots on in case COBAL decides to roll in." The Forger left the apartment and Saito silently made his exit as well.

"We can question her more in the morning." Cobb told the Architect. "Let her get a shower and a good nights sleep. She looked like she needed both." Ariadne nodded sadly at the Extractor. As she watched Cobb leave Arthur leaned close to her ear.

"I'm staying here tonight." He said.

Ariadne did not question Arthur's plans to stay over. The presence of this strange girl changed things for the team, and for the two of them. No flirtations were cast between the two of them after the kidnapping and Arthur feared that he had lost an edge with the Architect. He always joined her on the weekends to her photography field trips. They were nice times where the pair shared lots of walking and polite conversions. Her 'brothers' comment this morning had made him feel he had entered a 'friend zone' with the Architect. He didn't want to be her friend.

"I brought you a change of clothes." Ariadne said to Sybil. "I think these will fit." Sybil greedily looked over the bohemian style tops and pants the Architect put on the bed.  
>"Nice." She said nodding her approval. "Your not as grumpy as your boyfriend." she commented. Ariadne smiled and didn't correct the her.<p>

"The shower's in there." she pointed to the Jack and Jill bathroom that attached itself to her room. "You can use my stuff to get cleaned up." She added.

"I don't blame you." Sybil said suddenly. "My Dad was not a great guy. When I saw what he was planing... I was almost glad... when he was gone." The Girl shrugged as she pulled out a small gray item from her pocket. "Whenever he would put me under, It felt warm and safe. Kinda like this place is. But that world wasn't real. " She looked at the small item. "I'm glad this place is real."

"What is that?" Ariadne asked nodding at the item. Sybil held it up for the Architect to see.

"I found it in India a long time ago. It's Ganesha." Sybil told her. "My totem." The Girl looked at the gray and worn elephant.  
>"Your father allowed you to go into dreams with the PASIV?" Ariadne asked horrified. Sybil nodded.<p>

"Well, he didn't allow me." The Girl said. She looked up with a sigh. "Gotta prefect your method somehow right?"

Ariadne only nodded and left the room. Arthur was making up a sleeping pallet on the couch as Ariadne crossed over to her room.

"Our guest getting ready for bed?" He asked sarcastically. Her answer was shutting her bedroom door on him.

It was past midnight when she heard a soft knock on her door. She had barely slept with the news of the COBAL and Sybil's appearance. The Girl had not made a peep since running a shower and turning off her lights. The Architect opened her bedroom door to see the Point Man.

"I'm sorry." He said simply. Ariadne realized she had never see Arthur with his hair not smoothed back. It was messed over his forehead in nice brown waves. It gave him a very boyish look. But his eyes and face belied the man her was. Arthur's strong hand gently took hold of her arm. She wanted him to kiss her then. Felt _he_ wanted to kiss her. With all the repressed passion they had felt since there arrival in Japan. In the dark and still apartment. Her bed only a few feet away. Ages seemed to pass as they just looked at each other. Finally Arthur turned away and went back to his bed on the couch. Ariadne tried to grab at his hand but he moved away from her to quickly.

She shut her door again and crawled back into her bed. The moment seemed to right. Why hadn't he made his move? He had been so bold and confident with her before the kidnapping. Now, it seemed like he treated her like something fragile. She laid on her side and tried to content herself with her usual comfort. She imagined he was in her bed. With his strong body next to hers and his arms around her.

Arthur entertained no such comforts. It was clear Ariadne didn't feel that way about him. The kidnapping had changed how she felt about him maybe. Their association had been so new when it happened. What was once stolen kiss in a dream anyway? It wasn't anything solid. It wasn't anything she could have drawn comfort from in those months she was stolen from him. He had told her in the hospital that day they went home, that he would never...

"Arthur?" came Ariadne's voice. The Point Man sat up abruptly and turned around. She was standing in the door frame to her room. She looked beautiful in her casual night clothes.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Saito just called." She said "The Australian Extraction team just landed in Hong Kong. He said all of the team members are unresponsive. It looks like they were victims of the new PASIV-4."


	4. Chapter 4

Friend Zone

**Would I leave you hanging like that? Yes, I would. But reader beware, I am a tease. **

"I think it's best not to wake them before dawn. Let them get some rest." Ariadne said as Arthur abandoned his makeshift bed for the night.  
>"Braker." was all he said as he approached her door. She nodded. Her eyes welled up with tears and then his lips were on hers. Wasting no time, his mouth danced perfectly in sync to hers as his long frame bent over her petite form. His large hands held her face, her hair, her back as she returned his soft but pressing kiss. When she pulled away, they were both breathing hard.<p>

"You don't have to sleep on the couch." She whispered.

If the situation surrounding them had not been so serious, Arthur might have called this bliss. Both of them were to tried from the day to engage in much more then chaste kissing and holding that night. But it held the promise... of something. They spoke very little as the worry over Braker and his team held them down. She didn't cry very much as he spooned his body against hers. Her body was soft next his hard frame. She allowed him to hold her that night till sleep came and stole them both.

Like a greedy child after candy, morning came harsh and angry. Sybil was up early and raiding the Architect's pantry when Eames came in.

"Morning." He said stiffly to the Girl.

"You have your own key or something?" She asked in a catty tone.

"Yes," Eames said mockingly "we all do. It's what friends do Little One." Sybil shrugged with indifference. "She still asleep then?"

"I guess they both are." Sybil replied eating her toast with generous amounts of jelly. Eames eyebrows raised suddenly. He didn't have long to wait as the Architect's door opened and Arthur came out looking tied and hair tousled.

"Morning Darling." Eames said with a wide smile.

Arthur sighed. The last person in the world he wanted to see him coming out of Ariadne's room was the Forger.

"Watch her." The Point Man said pointing at the Girl. "I'll be ready in a few... Ariadne is in the shower." He pointed to her door.

"A shower? Bravo Mate." Eames said with a horrid Cheshire Cat smile.

"Not now Eames." Arthur said flatly. "Something has happened with the Australian Team. I'll let her tell you and Cobb." He said before leaving. The Forger gave a low whistle and found his face was hurting from smiling so much.

"What was all that about?" Sybil asked

"Nothing." Eames snapped. "Shut up and eat your toast."

Eames and Sybil said nothing about Arthur to Cobb when he arrived, or Ariadne when she came out. She explained to them about Saito's late night call. The situation was to grave for the Forger to make fun. He would have his fun. He decided, just have to wait. Arthur turned up soon fresh for the day.

"So were going to Hong Kong?" Sybil asked. Her eyes lighting up.

"Looks like you can get some of your kinda food after all." Eames teased.

"She'll need a passport." Arthur said not meeting Ariadne's eyes.

"No problem." Cobb said. "Saito was already on it when he left. Just have to make a quick stop at his office before the airport." The Team was always prepared for a quick trip anywhere. They each had per-packed bags waiting for them in a closet with money, passports and a disposable cell phone. Ariadne's kidnapping had proven the need for speed in vacating a place.

Within a hours time the six of the (Saito and Sybil included) were in the air to China. Hong Kong was busy and crowded with people. It had a different feel then Tokyo yet somethings were the same as New York or London. A modern city was a modern city. Such things were true all over the world.

"If the PASIV-4 did this to your friends," Sybil was saying as the cab drove them to the hospital "Then they can't come back."

"We know that." Cobb said. "But these guys helped us out not to long ago and we don't forget that." Cobb was remembering to the Australian Teams role in freeing not only there Forger but Ariadne as well.

"They helped you guys get her out?" Sybil asked nodding to the Architect. Cobb nodded.

"Probably why there in trouble now." Eames said shaking his head. For all we know Little One here was with them before she found us." Sybil shot the Forger a look. "She may be responsible for what happened."

"I don't even know them." Sybil said defensively.  
>"Braker and his team were coming in from Sydney. We think they were drugged and an attempted extraction or inception occurred. When the extractors got what they wanted. They unhooked the PASIV-4 and left their minds to rot." Saito said.<br>"God only knows what information the Australian team gave them." Arthur said

"Our location." Ariadne added.

"No," Cobb said defensively. "They were trained to fend off extractions. Their subconscious is militarized. I'm betting that COBAL wasn't able to gain anything from them and that's why they left them."  
>"Mr. Cobb," Saito said softly. "If COBAL dose know your location, your family."<p>

"Kids are going to stay at a friends house after school." Cobb said "After that, we can go with your plan." He nodded at Saito. The team didn't ask about the plan Saito had for Cobb's two young children, with Sybil present it was best not to revel to much.

Braker looked well enough. Ariadne was afraid when she came he would be bed ridden and on breathing tubes. But he was dressed and in a wheelchair mumbling softly.

"Braker?" She asked softly kneeling down beside him. Only a few hours after the PASIV-4 violation the once strong energetic man now seemed so fragile. "Braker? It's Ariadne." She looked into his unfocused eyes.

"The drugs used are similar to what Mr. Fedor was exposed to." Came a familiar female voice.

"Doctor Yori." Saito said fondly as he shook her hand. The team managed weak smiles at the doctor who brought Ariadne and Braker back from the depths of powerful dream manipulation. It was her that helped Ariadne realize the lies COBAL told her and come back to reality.

"Can Braker come back?" The Architect asked the Doctor.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before. We don't know how to begin treatment. The drugs used are out of his system but have had a cascading effect in the brain." Yori said carefully.

"Take them to Japan." Saito said "You can run tests better from there."

"We can't." She told Saito. "Australian government will be here soon to reclaim them."  
>"Your the best at treating this kind of thing." Ariadne said feeling helpless to help the man who had risked so much to help her.<p>

"They will not allow me to." Yori said. The Doctor made a quick look over her shoulder before handing Saito a folder. "A copy of their lab results. You need to leave now. The authorities are aware that dream extraction was involved. They will be looking for you."

"So that was Doctor Yori?" Sybil asked as the Team headed to a waiting mini-van cab. No one said anything to the Girl. Sybil climbed into the cab next to Arthur and as the cab pulled away from the hospital she added. "I only ask because COBAL had a file on **her** as well as all of you."


	5. Chapter 5

Devil's Rain

"Yuseff. Come on old man, pick up." Eames said as the cab lurched towards the airport. The heavens had opened up at it was raining heavily while the sun was still shining. _Devil's Rain_ Ariadne thought.

"Did you see any other people in COBAL's files?" The Architect asked Sybil.

"Doctor Yori, all of you, and your Chemist from the Fischer Inception." The Girl said. Saito also had his phone glued to his ear speaking harsh Japanese to Doctor Yori. Ariadne was listening to Saito as he said the names of Cobb's children. Her tentative understanding of Japanese told her Saito and Yori shared very intimate things. That he and Cobb were trusting Yori to secure James and Phillipa away from COBAL.

"Yuseff is not picking up." Eames said shaking his head. "Have you been in Mombasa Little One?" Eames said casting a glare at Sybil.

The flight back to Japan was on Saito's airline and promised a safe trip home. Inside the comfortable first class seating the team said nothing as the plane gained altitude and leveled out.  
>"Have to pee." Sybil said taking off her seat belt and going to the bathroom as soon as the light clicked off.<p>

"How are we going to find whoever did this to Braker?" Ariadne asked to no one in particular.

"We can't run." Arthur said. "We run and they win." Cobb nodded.

"We'll have to let them come to us." The Extractor said.

Inside the always cramped airplane bathroom, Sybil did her business and took her time washing her hands. Perhaps it was not a good idea to seek out Cobb and his people. They were growing suspicious of her. Blaming her for the Australians. Maybe she should lose them in Tokyo. It was when she was thinking these things she heard thuds. Like a frightened animal, she crouched down and tried to remain still. She heard sharp male voices. Sybil risked peeping out the bathroom door to see the Team in first class. Only they were not alone. Men in suit wearing gas masks were there. They were shaking Cobb and Arthur, seeing if they would wake up. Sybil held her hand to her mouth to hold back the terror rising. COBAL's men. Had to be.

"Air is safe." said one man pulling off his mask. Gas. Sybil thought. That was how the Australian Team was taken into the dream. On a plane in the air just like now. Helpless.

"What did I tell you?" Another man said. "All of them here. Saito adds a nice touch." The men were hooking the Team to the PASIV-4.

"All were missing now is there Chemist." Another man said.

"He can't run forever." Another answered. Two of them were going to take Cobb and the Team into the dream. The third was staying out to control the PASIV-4.

"Remember get the information on Saito's expansion plan and get out. We leave them out to dry like the Australians." The control guy said. Then, it was very silent.

Sybil felt a panic. What should she do? She couldn't fight that man. She dared to peek out of her hiding place again to see the control guy looking bored. She also saw in delight he had left his gun with the silencer beside the device. It was the height of arrogance. Leaving your loaded weapon like that. She could make a diversion, grab it and shoot him. What if he took it with him? She couldn't hide here. The Team, even now was mired deep in a dream that could prove fatal. Sybil crawled out of the bathroom silently and crouched in the first class galley. She looked around for something to throw. Her eye caught a metal cup that would do well to cause a loud noise. She tossed it to the other end of the galley and it made a loud _clank._

Taking the bait, the control man left the device and more importantly, the gun to investigate the noise. Sybil didn't hesitate. She bolted into the cabin and grabbed the weapon.

"Hey!" Came an angry shout. Sybil fired two shots and the control man slumped neatly to the floor. Sybil was shocked at how quick and neat it had been. She had never even killed a projection before and this was real. Fear had in turn given her courage to forget the dead man and try to help the Team. She grabbed a hold of Eames and shook him hard.

"Wake up!" She shouted. Eames's eyes battered back and forth, deep in REM sleep. Sybil resorted to tugging him out of his seat to give him his own kick. He was far to heavy for her so she resorted to using the cabin's wall as leverage and her feet to push him off. "Oh you fat ass!" she cried as he finally slid to the floor, but the Brit just fell out of his seat and didn't wake. She threw water on him then, slapped him hard on the face. Eames didn't even stir. Then she knew. Only one way to get the team back out.

COBAL's men were hooked up to the device. One of them was the dreamer. But the PASIV-4 could hold a dream together even **after** the dreamer woke. Not for long, but long enough. Sybil took COBAL's men off the device manually. They both woke up and looked glassy eyed to the world. Gone.

She quickly wrapped the white bracelet with the IV support across her wrist and sat down next to the device. She took a long look at her worn gray Ganesha before falling into the dream.


	6. Chapter 6

Fading

With no idea what might be found in this dream Sybil "awoke" to find herself in a small apartment with pretty blue toile wallpaper. The Architect was sitting on a bed. In colorful little vases, fresh flowers stood.

"What are you doing here?" Ariadne asked Sybil. The Architect seemed very calm. To calm.

"Ariadne." Sybil started but stopped as the Architect pointed at the flowers.

"I thought Arthur would like these flowers." She said mildly. Sybil started to take a step forward and stepped on broken glass and crushed flowers. "They did that." Ariadne said sadly. "When they took me." I haven't been back to this apartment since." Ariadne looked at Sybil and sighed. "You were never here." She said finally. It was so slight Sybil almost didn't see it. The walls shook a little. Making the fashionable prints on the wall waver. With the PASIV-4, when the dream finally collapsed, it would trap there minds forever.  
>"Ariadne, this isn't real." Sybil finally said. "You and the Team have been pulled into this dream."<p>

"I know." Ariadne said sadly as she stood up. "I was waiting for someone."

"We don't have time for this!" Sybil cried suddenly as the walls shook again. She still had to get the rest out. She had willed it. And it became real. The gun she used for the control man. She plucked it up and pulled out her totem (she had to be sure) it gleamed in gold and rubies. Nothing at all like the plain pewter Ganesha she had in the waking world. She took a deep breath and shot the Architect in the head. The walls still shook and Sybil ran from the French apartment to the hall. How could she find the others?

In the dream, it seemed what she wanted to find, _who_ she wanted to find, was an easy thing. Saito and Yori appeared in the hallway. They were talking to each other and Saito was running his hand though her long dark hair. They both looked up at her then.

"Sorry!" Sybil called out and shot. Saito collapsed on the floor as Yori screamed and ran towards Sybil but the Girl shot her and the projection of the Doctor crumbled and was still. Sybil ran down the hall to find Eames at a poker table. This was more complicated. He was surrounded by projections in the form of other gamblers. The moment she shot him, they would come after her. The dream was collapsing. Slower then was normal, but if she didn't wake them all up soon, they would be lost. Sybil took aim at the Forger just as he looked up. He was about to say something when she shot him in the head. The projections closed in. Sybil fled from the hall into a garden only to find Cobb. He was sitting outside with a very slim and pretty lady and two small children. 'Right, his family' she thought. But the projections were right behind her and she had no time. Cobb stood up and looked at her strangely before she fired. The slim and pretty woman was on her then. Hitting her and pulling at her hair. Sybil shot her and she went down. She had to find Arthur now. The buildings were starting to crumble as the dream slowly faded around her. Her gut instinct led her to an opened door which she banged shut behind her. The projections didn't follow but the walls were shaking. She looked around and saw the Point Man standing in the hall. The wall paper was peeling and fading right before her eyes. Sybil raised her gun but before she could do anything Arthur had twisted her hand away from her and pried her weapon free. She cried out in pain and he finally let go. He pointed the gun down and turned his attention back to a door.  
>"I thought about barging in." He said. "But she might have been mad." He smiled slightly. "It was so easy... before."<p>

"Arthur," Sybil said "Look at me. This isn't real." The Point Man fixed an angry look at the Girl. "Look around!" She shouted. "This world is not real! We have to wake up!" The Walls were starting to decay. Arthur put a hand on the door. She and Arthur would be trapped. She was in just as much danger as he was. "Arthur!" Sybil screamed as the walls fell away. "Ariadne is out already! She is out and waiting for you! PLEASE!" The world was fading away as Arthur raised the gun and shot Sybil in the head.

Sybil gasped with the shock of coming out of the dream in such a harsh way. Her totem was still clutched in her had. She looked at it. Dull and cheap as ever. She was out. Sybil looked over the first class cabin to see Ariadne, breathing hard but wide awake.

"What happened?" came the gruff voice of Saito.

"COBAL's men." Sybil said pointing to the husks of humans now drooling on themselves. Cobb stood and looked them over. Sybil suddenly remembered Arthur. She turned around to find the Point Man looking dazed and angry, but awake. He did what needed to be done in the end.

"Sybil?" Ariadne said coming to kneel beside her. "Are you alright?" Sybil nodded

"Why am I on the floor?" came Eames's voice as he started to sit up. He felt the front of his shirt. "Why am I wet?" He asked. Sybil almost laughed.

"You need to lose some weight." She said to the Forger.

The plane landed in Tokyo and Saito's privet security was there. With discretion, the plane was searched. All the passengers except for COBAL's men were cleared. The now catatonic extractors were led off the plane and into waiting ambulances.

"What will happen to them?" Sybil asked Saito.

"Nothing." Saito said indifferently.

** I will be the first to admit this is heavy stuff for a 13 year old but kids play violent video games now that train them for this. Sybil is also very grown up for her age.**


	7. Chapter 7

Plans and Rituals

"Another one bites the dust." Eames said with a grin. It was a few days after the Team had come back from Hong Kong. A Saturday. Everyone was in a good mood as the Team, Sybil, Doctor Yori, Saito, James and Phillipa were all at Ariadne's apartment preparing for a nice dinner. Sybil was helping Yori cook as Ariadne was showing Saito her photographs of the overgrown temple. Cobb was silently watching his two children play. Eames and Arthur were watching a Japanese game show on Ariadne's T.V.

"I never get tired of this show" Eames laughed as another poor contested tried to run a hopeless race around a maze. "I'll really miss it." Eames sighed.

Plans had been made. Flights booked. The team was leaving in the morning. Cobb was enjoying one last perfect day with his children and his extended 'family'.

"I don't see why I can't come with you guys." Sybil said in a pout. "I think I've proven myself. I can be of use."

"That's not why your staying." Ariadne said looking at the Girl. "You have school. You need some kind of normal life."

"Normal is _way_ over rated." Sybil said. Doctor Yori laughed. She and Saito had offered to look after Cobb's children as well as Sybil while the team went to look for Yuseff. COBAL still had not found him and Eames had a few good leads to the chemist. But they had to leave in the morning to locate him. As for Braker and the Australian Team, Yori was working on a treatment to bring them out of daze the PASIV-4 left them in. She seemed hopeful. The Team had recovered another PASIV-4 device and hoped it would dent COBAL's extraction plans to lose yet another team and yet another device. They knew of course, it would only make COBAL more determined to get at Cobb and the Team. .

Arthur grew tried of the pointless game show and in an unspoken male instinct, sensed dinner was ready and came to the table. Eames snapped off the T.V. As Sybil and Yori laid out the going away feast. Saito put a hand on Yori's back and gazed up at her very adoringly.

"You said I would never use a table seating for ten." Ariadne smiled at Arthur. The Point Man smiled.  
>"I said I didn't think we would have enough people for a table of ten." he gently corrected. James and Phillipa took there seat next to Sybil and everyone looked up at Cobb who sat at the head of the table. It felt like something needed to be said then. No one was quite sure what. Cobb looked at the faces of his dear friends and his children.<br>"I am grateful." He said simply.

It was a wonderful dinner. Wonderful friends. Saito and Yori took Sybil back with them. Her first day at school was in the morning, (new identity and all). Cobb took his kids back to his apartment and had the luxury of putting them to bed one last time before the trip. Eames made a swift exit that no one noticed and Arthur and Ariadne were alone again.

"Eames and I were wrong about Sybil." The Point Man noted as he helped the Architect wash the dishes. The small domestic act of cleaning was easy for the couple. It was normal.  
>"We were all wrong about her." She said rinsing the plate he handed her. "You know, I think that girl purposely dirtied every dish in the house <em>knowing<em> We would be doing the washing." She said with a scowl worthy of Cobb.

"She really saved us in the dream." Arthur said quietly. "I didn't exactly open arms to her."

"We had every reason not to trust her. She knows that." Ariadne said. The Architect let the water run and gazed at it, almost hypnotized. "In the dream, I was in my little apartment back in Paris." She said suddenly. "Just before those men came." Arthur was silent. She had never spoke of the kidnapping since the day Doctor Yori brought her back. "I had fresh flowers from the market. They looked really nice." She ended. Arthur waited for her to continue but when she remained silent he spoke.

"I thought about bringing you flowers." He admitted. "I arrived in Paris just a few hours after you were taken. If I had only decided to go a day earlier..." He didn't finish. "I saw your apartment, and the flowers. They were really nice." He added.

"You wanted to bring me flowers, but didn't?" She asked. He smiled

"I thought it was too forward." He admitted.  
>"I think I would have loved them." She smiled. "You should never think it's a bad idea to bring me flowers." She shook her head. "Where were you in the dream?" She asked.<p>

"At the Hotel." Arthur said quickly. "After I said I could always give that kiss back to you and you told me goodnight. I had honestly thought about barging in..." He let the sentence drop.

"You should have." Ariadne said simply.

Arthur saw his opportunity and took it. He leaned down to meet her soft full lips. The kiss was simple and comfortable. When he pulled away she was smiling at him. "I was wondering when you were going to make a move." She said. He smiled down at her and ran his hands though her hair bringing her face up to him again kissing her more passionately this time. When he broke it he said with a laugh.

"Why did _I_ have to be the one to make the move?" She giggled as he pulled her close. "Your a modern 21st century woman. You could have made a move." She didn't have time to lecture him about proper courtship rituals because the Point Man quickly swept her up into his arms. Ariadne held back a small scream of delight to be in his arms. Her face was level with his suddenly and she had no fear he would drop her. He was much stronger then he looked. She smiled and warped her arms around his neck.

"I was worried you thought of me like a brother." He admitted still holding her with ease.

"No, just Cobb and Eames." She laughed. "When you kissed me in the hotel... I..." She started but didn't know how to finish.

"What?" He asked.

"I was... impressed." She said failing to find a better word. He laughed.

"Is there anything else I can do to impress you?" He asked.

"I don't know." She teased. "Is there?" She kissed him softly, felt his breath on her. He said nothing as he took her to her bedroom and lightly put her down. She couldn't stop herself from tugging at his tie, his vest, his shirt. Arthur allowed her to remove his clothes with reckless abandonment but took his time taking hers off. It was with the greatest care and deliberate slowness he exposed her body to him. Her modesty forced her to hold her hands over herself but He would not allow it. Her body was beautiful. Her breasts, waist and hips a perfect fit for her small frame. She was soft and responsive to his touch. The contact of skin on skin was thrilling. Electric. Warm. He tried at first to be a gentleman. To not go anywhere she did not permit. He wanted to await her body language to go further. Her mouth on his, rocking hips on his told him she was wanting him. All of him.

Later, the new lovers talked for a long while. She, admitting things to him she never would have done just hours before. He, relaxed and happy. Contentment. The slept heavily and woke early the next morning to feelings of energy and hope that only sleeping in lovers arms can bring.

In the morning, Arthur left his Lady's apartment to shower in his own home and to not raise Cobb's or Eames's suspicion. It was a wonder to both of them that Cobb did not see. That no one seemed to see the looks Arthur gave her. See the constant blush on Ariadne's neck and face. If their Team mates saw anything, they said nothing. The matter of Yuseff and COBAL was far to pressing for any diversion.


End file.
